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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001963">Broken halo</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rottenfawn/pseuds/Rottenfawn'>Rottenfawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Complicated Relationships, Emotional Hurt, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Songfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:07:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rottenfawn/pseuds/Rottenfawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A traumatized veteran and a porn star that was the embodiment of daddy issues, sharing countless nights and bottles of cheap booze to pretend that they may have found someone who cared for once.<br/>Husk would have laughed if it wasn't such a tragedy. [Based on the song Broken Halo from Digital Summer]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Angel Dust/Husk (Hazbin Hotel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Broken halo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> Another night where I don't care at all </em><br/>
<br/>
He never cared.
At least that was what he liked to believe and what he told himself when he used to care a bit too much.<br/>
He had never been a good person, god knows he was far away from that, but there had been people and situations he cared about.<br/>
It always left him in pain, way too strong for him to endure without drowning it in cheap alcohol.<br/>
In that case, he was a weak person, his body made in life and death to hurt and destroy, but his soul so fragile.<br/>
So now, Husk tried not to care, saying that he didn't care at all, even if he didn't know if he wanted to convince himself or everyone else.</p><p>
  <em> Give anything to erase every action </em>
</p><p>Even after decades, he still couldn't forget what happened.<br/>
He was sure he wouldn't ever.<br/>
Sometimes, he went for days without any occurring memory, but then, it came back, not even warning him before. It hit him like the tragedy it was, and he found himself on the floor of his bedroom, covered in sweat, struggling to catch his breath in this body that didn't really belong to him, that would always be a reminder for the sins he once committed.<br/>
The endurance of pain he had, the sharp claws and fangs, a body made to kill and destroy.<br/>
A body to signalize that he was designed to take lives.</p><p>
  <em> Just need someone to help brace this fall </em>
</p><p>Hell was a place where you never could be sure if someone who was carrying a smile were secretly your worst nightmare.<br/>
But life hadn't been different about that, had it?<br/>
Husk knew that the demons he could go to were limited, and even then, he didn't know if they would allow him to stay to live through one of his breakdowns.<br/>
And if they did in the end, showing vulnerability was literally a death sentence in hell.<br/>
It would be taken as a sign of weakness.<br/>
Weakness, demons who knew that he was associated with Alastor would make use off.<br/>
There was no respect in hell. Only fear and even a coldblooded overlord like the radio demon feared the loss of someone he called his best friend.<br/>
Even when the deal they made meant that one day, Husk's soul would be taken and devoured by the cannibal, he couldn't deny the fact that Alastor had often helped him without expecting something in return.<br/>
No, he couldn't risk that.</p><p>
  <em> Clear my head and be my perfect distraction<br/>
Help me forget and be my perfect distraction </em>
</p><p>There was only one person that could distract him in such a situation.<br/>
No matter how often Husk told himself that this would be the last visit, that he didn't need faked compassion and kind words, underlined by dripping poisonous seduction, he once again found himself in the spider's company.<br/>
Clearly, he remembered the several times where he pushed the other away, trying to keep a distance between them not to be allured by Angel's presence.<br/>
It had been easy in the beginning, as he was annoyed by the ever occurring offers of a quick blowjob in the bathroom.<br/>
He was way too old for something like this, and he only wanted his peace, in an already troubling existence.<br/>
But over time, the old demon grew weak.<br/>
He had his own needs that wanted to be fulfilled, and Angel was a treat for the eye.<br/>
Even Husk had to admit that.</p><p>
  <em> Can you help me now </em>
</p><p>It didn't seem to matter when he exactly needed the porn star's help.<br/>
He was always there to assist him, even coming over after a particularly exhausting shot.<br/>
The excitement in his eyes was telling Husk that it seemed to be more for Angel than just another task.<br/>
Luckily, most of the time, he didn't even demand any payment and was simply satisfied with being able to cuddle afterward.<br/>
Aftercare was a rare occurrence in the industry, so he got whatever he needed from the veteran instead of another actor.<br/>
It honestly wasn't like Husk had the money anyway.<br/>
His job as a bartender was forced upon him by Alastor, and whenever he managed to get his paws on something golden, it was gambled away instantly.<br/>
It was a blessing that Angel was doing it for free, and at the same time, it was hell because it was making it so easy to make it happen again.</p><p>
  <em> Be my wicked angel just for tonight </em>
</p><p>While the spider could be a sweetheart, it was clear for Husk that he shouldn't underestimate him.<br/>
He had way more to offer than just a pretty face and a desirable body.<br/>
The intelligence, the mischievousness, and unstable sanity hiding in those eyes of his were telling.<br/>
Maybe he wasn't far up in the hierarchies of hell, but that didn't make him less of a demon, less of a sinner than all the others.<br/>
He knew exactly what buttons he had to push to make the demons who desired him dance like puppets, and if that didn't work, he resorted to violence, as skilled as he was in using guns.<br/>
He was an angel in disguise.</p><p>
  <em> Wear this broken halo that matches your eyes </em>
</p><p>There was no doubt that the spider had the ability to be a good person if he wanted to be.<br/>
Instead, he craved the chaos and destruction and bathed in the dirty looks strangers gave him.<br/>
Angel lived fast, died young, burned by the flames of his own soul that craved attention and danger.<br/>
Maybe in another life, where his family wasn't broken, and the pressure of conforming wasn't as suffocating, he could have turned out differently.<br/>
Or maybe he was way too much in love with being a sinner.</p><p> <em> Be my tragic failure, my epic mistake </em> </p><p>It was almost amusing.<br/>
A traumatized veteran and a porn star that was the embodiment of daddy issues, sharing countless nights and bottles of cheap booze to pretend that they may have found someone who cared for once.<br/>
Husk would have laughed if it wasn't such a tragedy.<br/>
But his life had always been a tragedy, so it wasn't surprising for him that it would continue even in his afterlife.<br/>
After ruining the chance of having peace, he was damned to live through his trauma for eternity.<br/>
The demon stopped to count the days long ago. While there was a cycle in hell, time still felt nonexistent.<br/>
It made no sense to use a calendar because once you awoke here, you wouldn't be able to leave on your own.<br/>
Only one of the higher-ranked demons or the angels themselves could take you out, but he didn't have to worry about the yearly extermination.<br/>
As long as his soul was in Alastor's claws, he was kept safe from any harm, even if he caused his fair share of conflicts with others around him.<br/>
There were some advantages of being on the radio demon's right side, besides him being entertaining and making his afterlife way more interesting than it should be.</p><p>
  <em> The pointless endeavor I continue to take </em>
</p><p>There was no point in thinking they had something special going on.<br/>
Like everything in the afterlife, it was a coping mechanism to deal with what occurred before his death.<br/>
Husk didn't really believe in redemption, at least he had never seen a demon who was capable of it before, and so his goal was to simply use everything that had a chance of making him numb to the constant pain in his soul.<br/>
Many years ago, he asked himself if every demon, even the overlords, felt like the afterlife is one significant pointless endeavor. While he never talked with Alastor about it specifically, he went through phases of creative and emotional exhaustion.<br/>
After decades, the deer had seen everything hell had to offer.<br/>
It was no wonder that he felt the unfamiliar tingle of excitement once the princess announced her silly idea.</p><p>
  <em> You're my favorite addiction,<br/>
the perfect complication </em>
</p><p>Being so close to hell's biggest porn star wasn't easy.<br/>
The tiny glimpse of care he felt for Angel once again put him in emotional distress that he had tried so hard to avoid before.<br/>
The porn industry in hell was not only serving the socially respected fetishes but also the ones that were marked by such a degeneracy that Husk stopped the conversations about it whenever he felt like throwing up.<br/>
The spider enjoyed many privileges with being the favorite of Valentino, but that also came with rough expectations he had to fulfill.<br/>
Usually, the overlord wasn't fond of abusing his employees, but that didn't mean that his hand didn't slip now and then.<br/>
It wasn't his fault that the whores caused trouble, right?</p><p>
  <em> You're my favorite addiction,<br/>
my sick and twisted medication </em>
</p><p>In hell, drugs were available in vending machines on every second corner of the streets.<br/>
Every craved substance was always available.<br/>
But to find someone you could share a hug with, without being scared of finding a knife in your back afterward, was nearly impossible.<br/>
Husk was a deeply troubled demon, and so it was no surprise that nor drugs or alcohol could give him the bliss he experienced when he buried his face in Angel's chest, all six of his arms stroking his fur in a soothing movement.</p><p>
  <em> No point in talking cause there's nothing to say,<br/>
turn out the lights and pretend everything's ok </em>
</p><p>They were rarely talking to each other.<br/>
Husk didn't know what they were supposed to say.<br/>
The break of his frowny expression whenever he was able to let go of the mask was more than enough.<br/>
A closing door meant the safety and comfort of being alone with the younger.<br/>
Words weren't needed.<br/>
From casual sex to deeply intimate sessions in the comfort of the dark, they went through everything, and it left Husk with more questions than answers.</p><p>
  <em> You know I run to you, you know I come to you,<br/>
I know you like it that I want you too </em>
</p><p>While the older men had once been the one contacting Angel whenever he needed him, it didn't take long until the spider was also taking the initiative.<br/>
From then on, the line between customer and partner got blurred.<br/>
Husk could see in the other's eyes that it satisfied him to know that the veteran would always come back for another night and that it wasn't only his look pleasing him, but also his presence in itself.<br/>
He was desired and needed for something else than his body.<br/>
His mouth was allowed to talk, to be cheeky, and spill whatever was on his mind.<br/>
There were no limitations to his personality.</p><p>
  <em> It's true that I'm not sick, but I still need you so,<br/>
be my wicked angel just for tonight </em>
</p><p>He wasn't sick in the traditional way, but whenever he left the other, he felt better than before.<br/>
His mind was silent and empty, letting him rest properly, and life had been brought back into his eyes.<br/>
Even Alastor seemed to take notice of it, complimenting how healthy and soft his fur looked and how his posture was more relaxed.<br/>
The demon thought it was easier to look at himself since he found someone who seemed to adore the features he hated.<br/>
Someone, who held his claws and didn't see them as a weapon and who allowed him to be more than just a machine designed to kill.<br/>
Husk didn't know if the overlord knew the relationship the porn star and he himself shared, but it wasn't necessary.<br/>
Some things had to stay hidden.</p><p>
  <em> Wear this broken halo that matches your eyes </em>
</p><p>Sometimes Husk imagined how Angel would be without the sins he committed.<br/>
He saw a young man damaged by the harsh reality of life and destroyed by his own father's hands.<br/>
He saw someone who wanted nothing more but recognition and the love he never got, and he saw someone who had been locked away in a golden cage for too long, someone who now decided that he would live himself out and take the freedom he needed.<br/>
Just another soul forced to conform and dealing with it in their own way.</p><p>
  <em> Be my tragic failure, my epic mistake,<br/>
the pointless endeavor I continue to take </em>
</p><p>Husk didn't know where this would lead to.<br/>
The veteran didn't want to think about tomorrow and the consequences.<br/>
It was probably just another great mistake that would leave him in ruins.<br/>
He should know better, but there was no use to fight against his soul's desires.<br/>
After all, he was just one sinner out of many.<br/>
Maybe in another life, his decisions would carry any weight, but here, in hell, they were as pointless as the situation he was finding himself in now.<br/>
Nothing mattered if you're already dead.<br/>
At least, that was what he tried to tell himself.</p>
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